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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. object — to protest
  3. stand — to bear
  4. tear — to rip
  5. object — a thing
  6. tear — from crying
  7. key — the most important part
  8. key — in music
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. deal — to handle
  12. tear — from crying
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. band — a ring
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. object — an aim
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. rule — government
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. key — for a lock
  24. band — a music group

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com